Discover how to landscape with lavender and add months of color and scent to your garden design
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Whatever your garden style theres always room for some landscaping with lavender. Its equally at home planted in loose drifts in a Mediterranean or cottage garden, and works well clipped into smart geometric designs in modern urban spaces too. Its also the queen of containers and window boxes to dress up the front of the house.
Lavender can easily be worked into your backyard landscaping ideas and has been grown in gardens since late-medieval times. The scented spikes of blue, mauve and purple (and occasionally white) flowers bloom right through summer too. All lavender varieties look great used as repeat planting to divide up or add interest to herb gardens. Lavender itself is actually a herb and is related the mint family which accounts for the fact it slots so beautifully into herb garden designs.
It can also be used as low hedging to zone flower beds, as well as for edging paths and growing in containers as a plant to make your patio smell nice, so you get hit by a waft of fragrance every time you pass by. If youre interested in creating a sensory or wildlife garden landscaping with lavender is a must too, as it attracts pollinators in their droves.
Lavender is a classic aromatic herb that can transform the curb appeal of any front yard. With its soft purple flowers and silvery foliage lavender makes a gorgeous addition to front porch landscaping. There are many creative ways to incorporate this versatile plant into your front yard design.
Why Choose Lavender for Your Front Yard?
There are several great reasons to add lavender to your front yard landscaping
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Fragrance – Lavender releases its sweet, floral aroma when brushed up against or warmed by the sun. Having lavender lining your front walkway fills the air with its unmistakable scent.
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Color – The soft purple hues of lavender flowers add pops of color from early summer into fall They look beautiful paired with roses, salvia, catmint and more
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Low maintenance – Once established, lavender is drought tolerant and needs little watering or care. The aromatic oils act as a natural herbicide.
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Pollinator friendly – Butterflies, bees and hummingbirds love visiting lavender flowers for their nectar.
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Deer resistant – Deer tend to avoid lavender’s strong scent, making it a good choice if deer are an issue.
15 Creative Ways to Use Lavender Up Front
Here are 15 amazing ideas to incorporate lavender into your front yard design:
1. Line your front walkway
Use lavender as a fragrant edging plant along both sides of your front sidewalk or path. Symmetry creates a bold welcoming statement.
2. Underplant trees
Fill the space under front yard trees with lavender for a lush, layered look that also suppresses weeds.
3. Accentuate garden walls
Let lavender spill from raised beds or grow next to short garden walls. The contrast with stone is very cottage garden chic.
4. Complement rose beds
Lavender has long been a favorite companion for roses. The cool lavender tones offset the warm hues of roses.
5. Porch pots
Decorate your front porch with pots overflowing with fragrant lavender varieties like ‘Hidcote’ or ‘Munstead’.
6. Frame front steps
Line both sides of front steps with tidy rows of compact lavender like ‘Hidcote’ or Spanish lavender.
7. Poolside punches of color
If you have a front yard pool or water feature, add lavender pots for color and scent.
8. Driveway greeters
Plant groupings of lavender at the top of your front driveway for a beautiful fragrant welcome.
9. Mailbox garden
Create a mini garden around your mailbox with lavender and coral bells.
10. Windowsill pots
Decorative cascading lavender pots on front window sills add charm by your front door.
11. Rock garden fillers
Let lavender flow between rocks, boulders and gravel in a front yard rock garden.
12. Ornamental grass partners
Combine airy grasses like maiden grass with mounds of lavender for texture.
13. Lavender hedges
Use compact lavender to create low trimmed hedges or borders along your home’s facade.
14. Front yard meadow
Plant lavender drifts throughout your front yard meadow garden.
15. Pollinator patches
Create designated pollinator areas with lavender, catmint, hyssop and other bee-friendly plants.
With its versatility and curb appeal, it’s easy to see why lavender is a front yard staple. There are many English and French lavender varieties to choose from, blooming early to late summer. Give them sun, well-drained soil and occasional pruning and your lavender will thrive while beautifying your front yard for years to come. Get creative with fresh ways to make this aromatic plant the star of your front yard design!
FAQ
Is lavender good for the front yard?
Yes, lavender is an excellent choice for front yard landscaping. Its beautiful flowers, silvery foliage and sweet fragrance enhance curb appeal. Lavender is low maintenance, drought tolerant and deer resistant once established.
Where should I not plant lavender?
Avoid planting lavender in very shady areas. Lavender thrives in full sun. It also dislikes wet, poorly draining soil which can cause root rot. Raised beds are recommended for boggy areas.
Is lavender good to plant around a house?
Lavender is very versatile around houses. It can be used in flower beds, as hedging, in pots by doors, lining walkways and more. Lavender’s scent and pollinator-friendly nature are extra benefits.
Where is the best place to put lavender?
The ideal location for lavender is a spot with full sun exposure and very well-draining soil. amending soil with gravel or sand helps improve drainage. Raised beds also provide suitable growing conditions.
How to use lavender in a garden?
Use lavender as edging along paths, in drifts in cottage gardens, as hedging, underplanted with roses and shrubs, in herb gardens, spilling from pots, as ground cover, and as part of pollinator-friendly gardens. It’s endlessly versatile.
With its beauty, fragrance and versatility, incorporating lavender into front yard landscaping can really enhance curb appeal and transform your home’s entrance into a welcoming feature. Get creative with lavender planting ideas that suit your personal style.
Border steps with lavender (Image credit: Getty Images/Clive Nichols)
Framing steps either side with swathes of uniform planting is a really eye-catching design. The idea of creating a stairway of flowers is one of our favorite looks when landscaping with hydrangeas too.
There is quite a choice when it comes to lavender varieties to use to create a look like this. The hardy, low-growing Hidcote is a good choice for garden edging ideas but the main thing to remember is that all lavender varieties love a sunny position. So give your lavender what it needs by making it feel at home in a sheltered sun trap that offers protection.
Plant lavender next to stone walls (Image credit: Getty Images/© Fanny ROSTAN BETEMPS)
Imagine an old stone garden wall baking in the sunshine with lavender bushes growing next to it. Its a staple look in cottage gardens, where of course fragrance is the cornerstone of any design and helps to attract pollinators too.
Its easy to transform dull boundaries with the best plants for garden walls, and lavender definitely fits into this category. Although its not the type of plant to cling to walls or settle in crevices, soft cushions of lavender will thrive next to a sunny wall or in raised wall beds, particularly if situated in a sunny spot.